iPhone News Updated

Apple to supply free iPhone 4 cases

Apple to supply free iPhone 4 cases

The cases are meant to correct antenna problems blocking transmissions

Apple said yesterday it would soon provide free bumper cases to Korean users of the iPhone 4 to correct transmissions problems resulting from antenna faults.

After the iPhone 4 was released in Korea on Sept. 10, both KT, the exclusive service provider, and Apple, had been quiet on the supply of free cases in Korea that it had released in other parts of the world. The bumper case, which covers the outer edges of the iPhone 4, helps solve the antenna problems.

Ever since the iPhone 4’s release on June 24, 2010 in the United States, users have been complaining about the loss of antenna signal when the device is held in the lower left portion.

Apple’s CEO, Steve Jobs, described the controversy as “Antennagate” in July, and admitted that “Apple is not perfect and iPhones are not perfect.”

For Korea, KT had kept silent on the issue until Thursday when it told users through its twitter account that “the bumper cases will be provided to only those who are experiencing antenna problems from Sept. 27.”

Korean users were generally unhappy with Apple or KT when they earlier failed to make comments on the antenna problems or supply of the free bumper cases.

Many customers were worried about getting the bumper cases after Apple earlier said it would stop supplies worldwide by the end of September. Anger grew on Thursday when some customers interpreted the KT twitter as suggesting they would have to prove they were having problems with their iPhone 4 before receiving the bumper cases.

Apple Korea told the JoongAng Daily yesterday there were some “misunderstandings” created by the choice of words in the KT twitter post.

“We now know that the iPhone antenna attenuation is even smaller than we originally thought. We will be discontinuing the free case program on Sept. 30 in countries where iPhone 4 has already launched it,” said Steve Park, the PR Manager of Apple Korea.

But Park said that Korean customers will have to make visits to authorized service centers to get the bumper cases instead of applying for them through an online application form.

“In Korea, customers should contact an Apple authorized service provider for a free bumper case,” said Park.

Apple will limit the supply of bumper cases to ones that are black in color. Apple customers in other countries could get different types of cases made by authorized third-party vendors.

[Thanks: http://joongangdaily.joins.com]

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